Night-latch.



W. E. SPARKS.

NIGHT LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR. a. 1913.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

2 'SHEETSSHEET I.

WITNESSES: I v [.VVENTOR.

fl L (DMM BY I 3% %%M 53 7 A TTORNEY.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. SPARKS, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SARGEN'I. & COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION CONNECTICUT.

NIGHT-LATCH.

provements in Tim night latches, but certain features of the invention will be found useful in locks of widely different types.

I My improvements are especially applicable to looks comprising a latch bolt which is deadlocked automatically by the closing of the door, and the invention has amongits objects, the provision of improved automatic deadlocking means for the latch bolt which simplifies considerably the construction of the lock andincreases the security thereof.

It is also intended to provide a lock of: the

type mentioned which is very readily reversible, and this result is obtained pri marilyby the novel relation of the controller bolt relatively tothe main bolt whereby both are reversible together as a single unit.

I Moreover, it is further intended to so atrange the main bolt and the controller bolt,

that the controller bolt will be heldin its retracted position by the main bolt when the latter is held back in the case by suitable dey tent mechanism.

Other objects of the invention are to provide improved manually operated deadlocking and detent mechanism, for the latch bolt,

and to improve various general and detail features of construction and .operatlon in devices of the classto which my invention relates.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying. drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a rim night latch embodyin my invention, the latch bolt and i the contro ler bolt being in the tproj ected position, 'Fig. 2 is a rear view 0 Fig. 1 wlth the back plate removed, Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a view similar to Fig. 3 showing how the automatic deadlocki ng member is moved out from behind the latch bolt by the rotation of the knob, Fig. 5 is a similar view showing Specification 01 Letters Patent.

the positions of the parts when the door 1s closed, Fig. 4 is Patented-Aug. 3, 1915.-

, Application filed Apri13, 1913. Serial No. 758,637.

the latch bolt deadlocked in its projected position by the manual deadlocking means, Fig. 6 shows both bolts held in fully retracted position, Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the bolts and automatic deadlocking lever reversed, Fig.- 8 is asection on line 88 of Fig. 1', Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 2, Fig. 10 is a section on line 1010 of Fig. 1 with the back plate removed, Fig. 11 is a fragmentary rear view of the night latch with the bolts removed, Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 11 but with the hub and deadlocking lever omitted, Fig. 13 is a view of the unit constituted by the main and controller bolts, Fig. 14 is a detail perspective view of the deadlocking and detent slide, and Fig. 15 is a detail perspective view of the deadlocking lever.

Referring generally to the main parts of the lock, 19 denotes the case, 20the latch bolt, 21 the controller bolt, 22 the retracting hub for the bolts and 23 a knob for operating saidhub. The automatic deadlocking member for the latch bolt is shown at 24, and the manually operated means for deadlockin lthe latch boltwhen' the latter is projecte and for holding both bolts back within the case, is constituted by a slide 25 cooperatin with a cross-head 26 on the tail of the late bolt and movable into operative or inoperative position by a'button 27 guided in a slot 28 in the front wall of the case adjacent the knob 23.

The detail construction of the main bolt 20 and controller bolt 21 is as follows: The bolt 20 comprises the usual head to which is attached a shank 29 passing through a central opening in a cross-piece 30. The shank .OI' stem 29'and the cross-piece 30 are freely slidable relatively to each other and a spring 31 is interposed between the cross-piece 30 and the rear face of the bolt head. The controller bolt 21 is L-shaped and conforms to the main bolt 20 at the rear face of the 100 latter and at one of the side faces thereof. The controller bolt is complemental to the main bolt as it lies alongside the same in the manner shown and has the same bevel; as

a matter of fact, in the form shown, the bolt 105 the same face plate opening in which the 110 j is;

bolt head 20 operates. The upright portion '21" of the controller bolt which lies at the rear of the latch bolthead-i's cut away at 32 to provide a V-shaped part which clears the stem 29 and s ring 31 of the latch bolt. The

controller bo t is provided with a shank or stem 33 extending rearwardly therefrom in line with the horizontal portion 21" at one side of the latch bolt stem 29, and the stem 33 is adapted to operate in a suitable guide opemng' 1n the cross piece at one side of the guide opening for the latchbolt stem.

A spring 34 coiled about the stem 33 be:

tween the crossiece 30 and the rear face of the controller lt normally holds the upright portion 21 against the rear face of the head 20. The rear end of the latch bolt stem 29 is rigidly fixed to the cross-head 26 here-- inbefore mentioned, and this cross-head holds the cross-piece 30 in place on the stem 29, forming a stop to limit the rearward movement of the cross-piece when the bolts are taken out of the case, as shown' in Fig.

" portable unit, which may be readily hand ed and .ad'usted as such when the lock is assembl ,and also when the lockis'tobe reversed, as hereinafter poin'ted out.

When-the bolts20 and 21 are assembled v 'in the the cross-piecelor guide member 30 is held inplace against lugs or a butments 35 and'the laterally exten r 36 formed'at theextre 'nities of the ahaged I cro'ss-head,-are engaged-by the hub 22. us

the controllerbolt of the corners of the upright r-tion 21"of I extremity 24' of the ever 24, which lever is pivoted intermediate ofits ends on a stud- 37 The lever is made in the form of an el-, bowand one arm-extendsforward toward the latch bolt while the other arm is provided with a V-shaped-nose or projection 38 ada ted to the on the lever 24 tends to hol' the extremity 24 ofsaid lever in the path of the latch bolt, but when the door 1s open, the conenfage a'V-shapedrecess 39 in troller bolt holds the'lever. 24 in'aneinoperative position, as shown'in Fig.. 2.

The hub 22' may be operated by the knob 23 or by a hub 41 mounted to rotate inthe back plate 42 of the look, as shown in Fig. 8. This ub41isadaptedtobeactuatedby as shown in Fig. 12.

gesan supports the ub or r01 back 22. A acting suitable key mechanism =(not shown) oper-' ofthe hub 22 and cooperating with projections 44.

The combined deadlocking and detent member 25 heretofore mentioned, may take the form of a rectangularframe (Fig. 14)- guided vertically on the inner surface of the front wall of the case. This frame is provided. with a large center opening frame is provided at its inner part with a 'ated from the side of the door opgzite the v .knob 23, as usual in devices of clam. The hub 41 is in the form of a pillar having a forked end 43 enteringthe center opening which clears the bearing 45 of the knob '23 and said lip 46 adapted tomove vertically into and out of the path of one of the wings 360i the latch bolt cross-heads; When the frame 25 is in its upp rmost as shown in Figs. 2' and8, the" lip 46 Wlll clear the corre- 1 sponding-wing 'of the cross-head, but when theframe 25 is moveddown into the pesition shown in 5, it will lie directly in the path of the cross-head wing. When the member 25 has once been adjusted by the operating button 27 it will be firmly held in 47 adapted tojen'gage coiiperating depressions or seats 48, 49 in the wall of the case,

The operation of the device is substantially as follows The normal position of the arts whenthe door is open is shown in Fig. 2.. "The deadlocking lever 24 is held 'out ,ofthe path of the latch bolt by the portion 21" of the controller bolt. The

.the adjusted position by means such as a teat s rings of the respectiv'e'bolts hold both of em projected out of the opening inthe face plate. When the door is closed i latchboltis movedinward and then out in the usual mannerint'o a co i'ngly shaped opening 50 in the Plate.

51, as shown in Fig. 3. Thecontroller bolt,

on the other, hand,-is pressed inward and held in its innermost position by a solid portion of thesti'ike Plate. permits the spring 40 .of' the deadlockinglever 24 to' move the extremity or head 24- of said lever. into deadlocking position of the latch.

bolt head. Thus the latch boltwill be offectively deadlocked and it will be imposf' sible for it to be forced back into the by an instrument inserted at the edge of the .door. When the door is to be opened from the inside, the lmob .28 is rotated, and before the latchbolt reaches. the lever 24 (as said bolt is retracted'by one of the wings of the hub 22 engaging the corresponding mg of the cross-head 26) thenotched-portion 39 ofthe hub will engage thepmjection 88 on the deadlocking lever andthereby' shift said lever'outof the path ofthe latch bolt, as

shown in Fig. 4. As soon as the lever 24 is I moved out of the way, the latch bolt-is mtracted in the usual manner. Substantially the same action takes place-when the hub is operated from the outside of the door by means of the key mechanism (not shown) and the pillar 41, as when the hub is actuated by the inside knob.

Fig. 5 shows the positions of the parts when the latch bolt is deadlocked in its projected positionby the slidebutton27. This button is manipulated to move the frame 25 into such a position that the lip 46 lies immediately back of one of the wings 36 of the cross-head 26. If it is desired to hold the latch bolt in its fully retracted position, the frame 25 is moved from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 6 while the latch bolt is held retracted, so that the lip 46 will engage the front face of the corresponding wing 36 and thereby block the outward movement of the bolt. It is important to note that in this position of the parts the controller bolt will be held retracted by the main bolt, owing to the fact that the portion 21 of the controller bolt lies back of the main bolt head.

When it is desired to give the lock the reverse bevel, the guide piece 30 is removed from its seat against the lugs 35 and both bolts are removed as a unit, after which, they are turned over and replaced in the case in the reverse position, as shownin Fig. 7. Before the bolts are put back into the case, however, the deadlocking lever must be reversed. This is effected by turning over the lever 24 and placing it on another pivot 37, which is similar to the one previously described but which is located at the opposite side of the longitudinal axis of the case. Hence it will be understood. that the lock may be reversed by placing the deadlocking lever on another pivot and by reversing the main bolt and controller bolt as a unit, it being unnecessary to detach the bolts from each other.

The pivots or posts 37 not only serve to mount the deadlocking lever in the desired adjustment, but also to guide the frame 25 rectilinearly, as shown in Fig. 12. In this view it appears that one edge of the frame 25 slides along and in contact with one wall of the case, while at the opposite end said frame is provided with notches 37 by means of which it is guided on the posts 37.

Of course. I have not attempted to illustrate and describe the numerous modifications of the construction which may be adopted within the scope of my claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a lock, a portable unit comprising a latch bolt head 20, a sin le latch bolt stem 29, a cross-head 26 on t e rear end of the latch bolt stem, a guide piece 30 having a central opening engaging the latch bolt stem and permanently e d on said stem by the cross-head 26, a eprin surrounding the latch bolt stem between t 0 guide piece and the rear face of the latch bolt head, a controller bolt, a controller bolt stem engaging an'opening'in said guide piece at one side of said first opening, and a spring for said controller bolt; substantially as described.

2. In a lock, a portable unit comprising a latch bolt having a sin le stem, a cross-head on the rear end of sai stem, a guide piece permanently secured on said stem by said cross-head, a controller bolt-having a stem engaging the guide piece, and springs surrounding the respective stems and interposed between the guide piece and the respective bolt heads; substantially as described.

3. In a look, a latch bolt head 20, a stem 29 extending rearwardly from said head, a guide piece having an opening engaging said stem, a cross-head permanently holding the guide piece on said stem, a controller bolt head 21 having a part 21' extending along one side of the latch bolt head, and a U-shaped part 21 at the rear of the latch bolt head passing on opposite sides of the latch bolt stem, a stem 33 extending rearwardly from the controller bolt head and engaging an opening in the guide-piece, and springs surrounding the respective stems and interposed between the guide piece and the respective bolt heads; substantially as described.

4. In a lock, a latch bolt, a hub for retracting the same, a lever tending to deadlock said bolt, a controller bolt 21 comprising a ortion 21" extending alongside of the late bolt head, and a portion 21 at the rear of the latch bolt head, said portion 21 being adapted to en age the free end of the deadlocking lever, t e latch bolt and controller bolt having parallel stems, a guide piece in which the respective stems are guided, and springs interposed between the guide piece and the res ective bolt heads; substantially as describes.

5. A look having a latch bolt and controller bolt reversible as a unit, and a separatel reversible deadlocking member for the atch bolt to cooperate with said controller bolt in either adjustment of the latter; substantially as described.

6. A look having a reversible latch bolt, a reversible controller bolt, and a deadlocking lever having so arate pivots on which it may be mounte to accord with the adjustment of the controller bolt; substantially as described.

7. In a lock, the combination of a case, a reversible sliding latch bolt therein, a deadlocking lever, separate posts in the case on which said lever may be mounted in accordance with the adjustment of the latch bolt, and a slidin reversible controller bolt to cooperate wit said lever in either adjustment of the latter; substantially as delolibed.

8. In a look, a latch bolt, a hub for re-' tracting the same having an open center with inwardly directed projections, a knob on which said hub is mounted, having a stantially as described.

9. In a look, a case, a reversible latch bolt" therein, a reversible controller bolt, a deadlocking member to cooperate with said conillar mounted .to

troller bolt, separate posts on the case for mounting said deadlocking member in different a justments to accord with the adjustments of the latch bolt and controller bolt, and a manually operable blocking member for the latch bolt guided on said posts; substantially as described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand on the 1st day of April 1913.

WILLIAM E. SPARKS, Witnesses:

TEREBA Frrzszmons, Zmonna SARGENT. 

